Selective Mutism Success Stories from Parents and Patients
“Her assistance has truly made a wonderful impact on our student! She has continued to speak with our teachers and is branching out with peers and other adults. We are so thankful for her! Our team would highly recommend her services!”
“Thank you so much for your help. I am very excited because she has made an unbelievable amount of progress. I have actually been working with her for a year and a half now and it wasn’t until I implemented the strategies that you gave us in the workshop that I have seen real gains. So since the beginning of the year....as in the beginning of this MONTH....she went from not saying a word to talking and playing games. Thank you so much for your support...you really are amazing.”
“Dr. Aimee was a wonderful asset to our educational team. Our student was significantly struggling with communication. She was only able to provide a ‘thumbs up’ or ‘thumbs down’, but even this was a difficult task at times. Dr. Aimee was able to ‘fade in’ staff members and our student is now communicating with short utterances. She also provided a wonderful training to our staff.”
“The genuine and compassionate care we received from all individuals throughout the entire process, from scheduling the initial appointment through our patient care experience, was appreciated. We also greatly appreciated the extensive report regarding our daughter’s condition and recommended treatment and follow-up plans. Words cannot express how grateful we are; our experience at Thriving Minds has changed our lives.”
“Just wanted to give you an update. NAME introduced himself at soccer practice last night... He also talked to our friends last night that he has known his whole life and never spoke to them before. He was full volume and made eye contact while speaking to them!”
Intensive Selective Mutism Therapy Success Stories
“Wow, what a beautiful day she had! She has far exceeded our expectations for this week and it has been awesome watching her walk so proudly!! I went into the classroom today to get the bag and she actually yelled across the room to ask me a question!”
“Dr. Schmitt modeled strategies I could use immediately with the student. She was easy to talk with and ask questions of. She was patient and consistent in her work with the student and staff. ”
“On Friday, a substitute teacher had to intervene in the cafeteria because (our daughter) spent too much time talking that she left her lunch untouched. I never thought I would be so happy to hear my daughter got in trouble!
We recognize there is more work to do, but we are thrilled with the progress (she) made in such a short period of time. ”
“Dr. Schmitt and the entire program and therapy for selective-mutism was wonderful. We have needed this information, training, and sharing for years. Thank you Thriving Minds! ”
“NAME spent the first three months of school not talking at all and after four short days is sharing more and more each day and today required very little prompting. This has been an amazing week of learning for staff and students alike! It is so exciting to experience NAME engaged, animated, being brave and talking.”
“As a parent, I was not there to directly observe the in-school intensive. However, I appreciated the clear and detailed updates received daily, and Dr. Schmitt’s openness to answering any questions as they arose. Each time I received the daily report, tears flooded my eyes as I imagined my child using her voice in new and brave ways.
Following the intensive, one teacher mentioned to me that she had never heard my daughter’s voice before — but afterwards, she frequently heard her speaking to peers in the room. It was as if a whole new door of possibility was opened.
The school teachers and staff were very impressed with the work that Dr. Schmitt did and feel better equipped to support our child in their learning and growth as a student.
While our journey with SM is not over, the in-school SM intensive proved to be invaluable in our journey. I am so grateful for Dr Schmitt’s work and for the thoughtful, kind, and clear way that she goes about it. I wish that every child with SM would have access to this type of therapy!”
Patient Story: Overcoming Selective Mutism
“Dear Dr. Kotrba,
I felt compelled to write to you to share an amazing success story thanks to you. I attended one of your workshops in October (I’m a kindergarten teacher), along with my school’s Psychologist. Neither of us have had any prior experience with children with SM. We went back to school armed with your hierarchy and an effective plan for our student. Within a month of following your steps, our student was communicating in a full whisper in the classroom (previously only nodded, gestured or mouthed), and a full voice to the Psychologist in her office, and a full voice to me in a private area in the classroom and hallway. In January, he began using a full voice in the classroom in front of all his peers! For the first few days, he needed a gentle prompt to switch to a voice, a prompt that he expressed he wanted. He designated to us that he wanted us to say “voice” as a prompt. Within 3 or 4 days of prompting, he began using his voice with no prompting. As of today, our student communicates in full voice in class and to certain adults out of the room. Interestingly, he will speak to anyone in our classroom including people he has never met! He raises his hand to answer questions all day in elaborate responses, not one word answers. He volunteers and participates in all our class activities! We are now helping him become stronger in self-advocacy skills/ being able to ask for help. We are also helping him establish relationships with the first grade teachers to ease the transition next year. He engages in partner work with classmates. I cannot thank you enough for the information we received at your workshop. I’m amazed that we were able to learn so much In only a few hours together. After living a life of silence for 4 years, you have empowered us to give this little boy his voice back. Working with him has proven to be the most rewarding experience not only for me as a teacher, but also as a human being. Thank you!”